Page 32 of Adepts and Alchemists

His hand was white. Not simply pale, but chalk white, as though someone had polished alabaster until it shone. It reflected light painfully into my eyes. His fingernails were long, dark, and thick, reminding me unpleasantly of a bird of prey. Still, he handled the ashes almost reverently.

“Dear Cassandra,” he sighed at last, shaking his head. “I wish I could have protected her from this.”

“Could you have?” I asked, more sharply than I meant to. “You’ve made many promises to her over the years, from the whispers I’ve heard. Yet she stayed away from you. Maybe I should do the same.”

He shrugged, though it was difficult to tell if the rebuff bothered him. His face was lost to shadow. The ambiguity was driving me insane. Who was he? Why had he appeared out of the blue? How had he even found us at this new location? What had he been to Mother?

“That’s your choice. I merely offer possibilities.”

“Possibilities?”

“I can give you the names of the vampires who committed the crime. You may avenge yourself on them at your leisure with the power I could promise you.”

I gave him a narrow-eyed look. “And what’s the cost? I know a sales pitch when I hear one.”

He told me what that cost would be.

The scene shifted ever so slightly. I’d remained on the beach until high tide rolled in, dragging insistently at my toes. The chill in the air nipped painfully at my nose. I’d shed tears. Butultimately, I’d called Murrain and accepted the offer. Mainly because I’d found the Koloth stalking a young woman in the next town over. The creature would have ultimately burned her alive, as they did for any mortal obsession they formed. It was how they made love. Maybe I should have felt sanguine about the choice to spare her and avenge my family in one go. But I wasn’t. I felt sick when Murrain grafted the new magic onto me, fusing the Koloth to me one painful step at a time.

Wanda cringed away from the process when it played out. I couldn’t blame her. It was anathema to what we believed. Unnatural. A Faustian bargain that had corrupted me enough that the Goddess had rejected me when the time came. So, I was stuck here until I could find some kind of redemption. If I ever did.

“I don’t deserve to be a part of your coven,” I said, voice level at last. The peace that came with admitting that much aloud was cathartic. “I know that. I’ve made myself an abomination. Worse, I dragged an innocent into the consequences of my mess. Lydia would never have been in danger if not for me.”

Wanda scrutinized my expression for a moment before nodding to herself. “Good enough.”

“What?” I asked.

“You’re capable of loyalty.”

“Why would you assume that?”

She shrugged. “Simple. You won’t give up Lydia. That’s progress, at least.”

“I guess.” It was my turn to shrug.

Wanda nodded. “I’m willing to put you on probation in the coven. You report to me on all things. Do you understand?”

My heart thundered in my chest but I managed to nod. “I do and I will.”

“Good. Let’s get started.”

Chapter Fifteen

Anthony

“I feel ridiculous,” I muttered under my breath.

I was certain Ilookedridiculous too. This costume was too close to copyright infringement for my liking. I’d never have been caught dead in a brown jumpsuit in any other circumstance. My mother had taught me much better fashion sense than that. Unfortunately, there was a ruse to keep up, and mundanes to entertain. I caught a few of them snickering as we passed, ghost-hunting gear on full display. One of them even hummed a bar from the Ghostbusters theme song as they went by in the opposite direction.

“You look fine,” Marty said, clapping a large hand on my shoulder with a jovial smile. He was glowing with good humor, despite the situation we now found ourselves in. “I think the color suits you. You definitely look better than I do.”

“Like that’s difficult.”

Marty drew the hand back, pressing it to his chest in mock offense. “Rude!”

I looked at him. “You know I’m kidding.”

He smiled. “You get grumpy when you’re scared, don’t you?”